


אהבה

by masquerade97



Series: Jewish!Cas [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, Tu B'Av, jewish!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masquerade97/pseuds/masquerade97
Summary: אהבה - (n) love





	אהבה

"Home again home again," Dean said, pulling into the driveway of a white two-story house with a wrap-around porch as the sun was getting close to the horizon. "Chez Winchester."

"I don't know why, but this is exactly the kind of house I expected you to have grown up in," Cas said with a smile.

"I choose to take that as a compliment," Dean said. "Get your bag and we'll get you settled."

Cas grabbed his bag and followed Dean up to the front door, writing out a quick text to his mother in the process to let her know he'd arrived. He could smell food cooking as soon as the door opened.

"Mom?" Dean called. "Cas and I are here. I'm just going to show him to his room and we'll be right back down."

"Be quick," Dean's mother called back.

Dean led the way up the stairs and down the hallway to a room with the door standing open. "There you go, same as last time," Dean said, stopping just shy of the door frame to let Cas enter.

Cas set his bag down and looked around the sparsely decorated room. It looked exactly as it had last time he'd arrived. He had the oddest feeling he was in a hotel room.

"Mom redid the bedrooms when Sam and I moved out for school," he said, noticing the look on Cas' face. "Or I guess when I moved out. Sam's a freshman and his room hasn't been redone I don't think. They look too... maintained, I guess."

"She redid your room?" Cas asked, head tilted in confusion.

Dean shrugged. "Repainted, moved any extra things I left here into a storage unit, things like that," he said. He glanced around the room. "It's still okay though right?"

"Of course it is Dean," Cas said, the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Good," Dean said, his face lighting up. "Now let's get back downstairs. Don't want to keep mom waiting."

"What's taking so long up there?" Dean's mother called as the boys started toward the stairs.

"Just reminding Cas where everything is, mom," Dean called back.

Cas furrowed his brow. "She doesn't think...?"

"What? No. At least, I don't think so," Dean said. He glanced back at Cas. "She's just giving us a hard time. I honestly don't think she cares."

Cas wasn't sure what to make of that, but before he could think of something to say, Dean led the way into the kitchen, which was separated from the dining room by a half wall.

"We're here," Dean announced as he entered the kitchen. "In one piece, as promised."

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Winchester," Cas said politely.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Mary," Mary said, wiping her hands on her apron.

Cas smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Force of habit."

"Is that pie I smell?" Dean asked.

"It is," Mary replied, closing the oven door again and resetting the timer. "I thought it'd be nice to have after dinner, so don't go getting any ideas."

Dean looked scandalized. "I don't know  _what_ you mean by that-"

Cas snickered before Dean could even finish, and Mary laughed.

"You see?" she asked. "You've done this enough that even Cas knows you're full of it."

"I'm hurt," Dean said, but he couldn't keep the amusement off his face.

"That sounds like Dean," came a voice from the direction of the den.

"It is," Dean said, turning to face his father as he entered the room. "And Cas."

"Good to see you again Cas," John said, extending his hand.

"And you, Mr. Winchester," Cas said, shaking John's hand.

"John, could you help me finish with this?" Mary asked.

"Of course."

"And Dean? Why don't you set the table while you wait. The plates and silverware are on the counter," Mary said, gesturing to the other end of the counter where the dishes and napkins for the place settings were neatly stacked.

"Sure thing mom."

"I'll help," Cas offered, taking the napkins and silverware and following Dean to the dining room to set the table.

"Where's Sam?" Dean asked.

"He should be back any minute," Mary replied. "He went to pick up Eileen."

"Eileen's coming for dinner?"

"Yeah, we thought that since Cas would be here, we'd make it into a regular event," John replied.

Mary and John had just started to carry food from the kitchen to the dining room table when the front door opened and Sam called, "Sorry we're late. Every light was red."

"That's Murphy's Law," Dean said. "And you can help by getting drinks."

Cas turned and jumped when he almost ran into a girl with dark eyes and curly hair. "You must be Eileen," he said.

The girl nodded. "And you must be Castiel," she said. Her words came out thick, and Cas remembered Dean mentioning that she was deaf.

"Nice to meet you," Cas said. He signed it as well and hoped he got the gestures correct. Judging by the way her face lit up, he guessed he'd done it right.

 _You know ASL?_ Eileen signed at the same time Sam asked.

Cas shook his head, still facing Eileen so she could read his lips. "My aunt used to be an interpreter. She taught me a little. I know more Hebrew than ASL."

"Everyone take a seat," Mary said, herding everyone toward the table.

Cas sat in the seat next to Dean and was pleased to find himself across from Eileen.

"John, would you mind leading tonight?" Mary asked.

"Of course," John said, bowing his head. The rest of the Winchesters followed suit.

Cas shifted in his seat but sat quietly. Eileen was straightening her silverware across from him, but she smiled when she caught his eye.

When the prayer had finished, everyone started passing plates and food. Cas took a little bit of everything, but he leaned over to Dean and asked in a quiet voice, "I don't mean to be rude, but is anything here kosher?"

Dean shook his head. "Sorry."

Cas waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Just figured I'd ask." He asked nearly any time he went anywhere; sometimes there was a piece of fruit at the very least, but he could see that wasn't the case tonight. He inspected what he had on his plate and determined that if nothing else, he didn't have any pork, shellfish, or meat and cheese together, so he decided to call that a win.

"Does everything look okay?" Mary asked from Cas' left. She sounded worried.

"Yes ma'am, everything looks delicious," Cas said earnestly.

"He's checking to see if he can eat it," Eileen said. She smiled innocently when Cas blinked at her in surprise.

"Do you have an allergy?" John asked.

"No," Cas said.

"It's _kashrut_ ," Eileen interjected, then she looked at Cas again. "You must have a kosher kitchen at home."

Cas nodded. "We do."

Understanding came across Mary's face. "Because you're Jewish."

"Right," Cas said before quickly adding, "but it's okay. This is the same situation as at school. I only keep strictly kosher at home anyway." He was determined not to be disappointed that he had to remind his host of his dietary restrictions. He knew they just weren't used to it.

"As long as you can eat," Mary said.

"Yes ma'am," Cas said with a nod. He took a bite of his dinner for emphasis.

"You don't have a prayer to say over it?" John asked. If nothing else, he seemed genuinely curious.

"Not over food that isn't kosher, sir," Cas replied.

"Sounds like a lot of rules to follow."

Cas shrugged. "It's just my life."

"So it doesn't get confusing?" Sam asked from his seat next to Eileen. He was looking between the both of them, intrigued.

"No?" Cas and Eileen said in unison, looking at each other as if there was a joke they weren't in on.

An awkward silence passed for a moment or two before John asked, "You know, something I've wondered for a while is why your day starts at sunset. For holidays and things."

"That's from Genesis," Cas said automatically.

"There was evening, and then morning," Eileen supplied. "Evening first, and that's a day."

"Does that mean it's tomorrow?" Sam asked.

"It's always today," Cas said, amused.

"That means it's Tu B'Av," Eileen said, turning to Cas as if the thought had just occurred to her.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

Cas looked at Eileen with his lips pressed in a thoughtful line. "How do I call it a love holiday without that sounding weird?"

"It's like Valentine's Day," Eileen said, turning to Dean and rolling her eyes at Cas.

"I didn't know you had your own Valentine's Day," Mary said.

Cas shifted in his seat. "I don't like that comparison," he said when Dean gave him an odd look. Dean nodded in understanding.

"Why not?" John asked.

Now _this_  was a conversation Cas was not in the mood for. Eileen suddenly had a world-weary look on her face as well. "I'd rather not get into it now," Cas said. "Maybe some other time. Could we change the subject?"

*~*~*~*~*

The rest of dinner had progressed fairly smoothly, and by the time Sam left to take Eileen home, Cas was ready to get to bed. After he and Dean had finished the dishes, they'd excused themselves to get ready for bed.

The only complaint Cas had about his room was that the window faced the neighbor's house, and on the neighbor's house was a light that appeared determined to be on all night. Even with the blinds closed, there was burnt-orange light coming into the room in slats. Cas had almost resorted to burrowing under the comforter when a soft knock came at the door.

"Come in," Cas said quietly. He sat up and turned on the light on the bedside table. He wasn't surprised to see Dean enter the room and close the door softly behind him.

"I hope I didn't wake you," Dean said. He crossed the room to the bed, indicated the foot of it, and asked, "Can I sit here?"

Cas nodded. "What brings you here in the middle of the night?"

"Couldn't sleep," Dean said. "Thought I'd check on you."

"No one will think that's weird?" Cas asked.

Dean shrugged. "Sam's turned in for the night and he's at the other end of the hall. Mom and dad are downstairs, and I don't think they'd care anyway if- well, you know."

"If we were doing something illicit," Cas said, one side of his mouth quirking up. "You said something like that this evening, about your mom."

"Yeah," Dean said. He looked down at his hands.

"Something bothering you?"

"Not really bothering. I was just wondering." Dean looked back up with a curious look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me there was a holiday starting tonight?"

"Well I'd already told you I couldn't come the other day because of a different holiday," Cas said. He chuckled to himself and shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, since it seemed this conversation might last for a while. "There are a lot of holidays Dean."

"Tell me about it. I know you don't want to do anything for Valentine's Day, but I guess I got the reasoning wrong on that one," Dean said. He pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross-legged on the foot of the bed, facing Cas.

Cas sighed. "I don't like the pressure of Valentine's Day. It's so... _expected_. I don't know." He smirked. "And it's tied to _Saint_  Valentine, so I'm technically forbidden from celebrating it anyway."

"Okay, so it's performative," Dean said. "That's fair. And Christian. What about what it stands for?"

Cas shook his head. "I don't have any problem with what it stands for. I like celebrations of love. That's what Tu B'Av is, essentially. I can't remember the technicalities, since it's almost midnight and I can't sleep, but I know it's a day that's famous for love. I _like_  those celebrations."

"So what do you do for Tu B'Av?" Dean asked.

Cas shrugged. "Celebrate love. There's nothing specific that I'm aware of."

"And your parents didn't mind you coming to stay with your boyfriend the day before this _celebration of love_?" Dean asked.

Cas had to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too loud. He couldn't help it. It wasn't even what Dean said, but something suggestive in his tone.

"I'm glad you're amused," Dean said, looking plenty amused himself.

Cas shook his head. "No, they didn't mind," he said, catching his breath. "They trust me as an adult, and they think you're pretty great."

"What about you?"

"What _about_  me?"

"Do you think I'm pretty great?"

"I would say I'm partial to you."

"You'd swear to that? Under oath?"

"Am I on trial?"

Dean laughed and shook his head. "Earlier you said you spoke Hebrew. Is that true?"

Cas' expression shifted, bringing a touch of confusion to his face. "I said I know more Hebrew than ASL, which is true. I'm not fluent in Hebrew, but I know some."

"Like what?"

Cas thought a moment. He had found that whenever someone wanted him to say something in Hebrew, he had a habit of forgetting the words. He was having the same problem now. "I don't know. Basic conversational things."

"Is it a hard language?"

"I don't think so," Cas said. "It's just a matter of figuring out the pattern."

"Could you teach me some?"

"I guess," Cas said. "Like what?"

Dean thought a moment. "How about how to introduce myself?"

"So, 'hello, my name is Dean?'"

"Sure."

Cas nodded. That much was easy enough. "Okay, repeat after me. _Shalom_."

" _Shalom_."

" _Hashem sh'li_  Dean."

" _Hashem sh'li_  Dean."

"Easy?"

"Easy enough," Dean said, smiling. " _Shalom, hashem sh'li_  Dean."

"Good," Cas said. "Anything else?"

"What about 'mom'? How do you say 'mom'? And 'dad'?"

"Mom is _ima_  and dad is _aba_."

Dean thought a moment. "How do I ask for something?" he asked.

"That depends on what you want," Cas replied. "Please don't make me try to remember vocabulary when I'm sleep deprived."

"Okay," Dean said. He was quiet for a heartbeat and then he smiled softly. "How do I say 'I love you?'"

Cas felt like his heart skipped a beat and stopped dead in its tracks, all at once. "What?" he asked. And then, before Dean could try to change what he had said, "You love me?"

Dean looked away noncommittally. "I mean, I could be asking purely for educational purposes related to Tu B'Av."

Cas squinted at him, but his heart had resumed normal operations. He smirked at Dean. "Well I need to know who you're saying it to in order to give you a correct translation."

Dean's gaze jerked back around. "Is that true or are you messing with me to get me to say it again?"

"Both, actually," Cas said, his expression clearing again like it did whenever he was explaining something. "It has to do with direct objects or prepositions, I can't remember which right now. But how you say 'to you' at the end of the sentence changes depending on who the 'you' is." Then he grinned. "I also want you to say it again."

"Yes, I'm saying it to you." Dean smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Dean leaned forward and squeezed Cas' knee through the comforter. Then he straightened up. "I'd still like to know how to tell you in Hebrew though."

Cas nodded. "Okay. Repeat after me. _Ani_."

" _Ani_."

" _Ohev_."

" _Ohev_."

" _Otkha_."

"I don't think I can make that sound."

"Come on," Cas said, scooting closer. "Just try."

"Okay," Dean said. He hesitated. "Can you say it again?"

Cas nodded. " _Otkha_."

" _Otka_."

"Close," Cas said. "That's a hard sound if you aren't used to making it."

"So I've found," Dean said. He reached for Cas' hand and grinned when Cas took it. "I love you."

" _Ani ohev otkha_."

**Author's Note:**

> the holiday Cas mentions as being a few days before Tu B'Av and the reason he couldn't come over sooner? Tisha B'Av, which is a minor fast day and day of mourning
> 
> 100% true that who you're declaring your love to changes how you say the sentence. the way Dean and Cas say it uses the masculine singular conjugation of the verb, and the singular masculine direct object. if you're a she, the way you say love is "ohevet" rather than "ohev", and if the person you're saying it to is a she, you use "otakh" rather than "otkha". Hebrew is a very strictly gendered language. the word "ani" stays the same because it means "I" or "I am", since Hebrew doesn't have a verb "to be"
> 
> bonus: in Hebrew, this is how the sentence "I love you" looks:  
> (masculine "ohev"): אני אוהב אותך  
> (feminine "ohevet"): אני אוהבת אותך
> 
> yep, sans vowels, "otkha" and "otakh" look exactly the same


End file.
